Top 10 Mystery Anime of 2023
1. The Apothecary Diaries
Maomao lived a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she’s sold as a lowly servant to the emperor’s palace. But she wasn’t meant for a compliant life among royalty. So when imperial heirs fall ill, she decides to step in and find a cure! This catches the eye of Jinshi, a handsome palace official who promotes her. Now, she’s making a name for herself solving medical mysteries!
(Source: Crunchyroll)
2. Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS Special 1
The fate of the world hangs in the balance as Eren unleashes the ultimate power of the Titans. With a burning determination to eliminate all who threaten Eldia, he leads an unstoppable army of Colossal Titans towards Marley. Now a motley crew of his former comrades and enemies scramble to halt his deadly mission, the only question is, can they stop him?
(Source: Crunchyroll)
3. Link Click Season 2
Cheng Xiaoshi by chance meets Lu Guang, a person possessing super powers, and awakens to his own special ability.
In order to save the Time Photo Studio which is on the verge of closing down, the two of them start to cooperate in using their super powers to enter photos of customers to complete their commissions.
However, the appearance of a mysterious killer shatters the peace, Lu Guang's condition is still unknown and Qiao Ling has also become entangled in the conspiracy. Faced with all this, how will Cheng Xiaoshi solve the situation?
(Source: bilibili, translated)
4. Bungo Stray Dogs 5
The fifth season of Bungou Stray Dogs.
Detective employees are caught one after another, and Kamui, the leader of Tenjin Goshui, is closing in on the Armed Detective Agency. Will the Agency survive?!
(Source: Crunchyroll)
5. Oshi No Ko
When a pregnant young starlet appears in Gorou Amemiya’s countryside medical clinic, the doctor takes it upon himself to safely (and secretly) deliver Ai Hoshino’s child so she can make a scandal-free return to the stage. But no good deed goes unpunished, and on the eve of her delivery, he finds himself slain at the hands of Ai’s deluded stalker — and subsequently reborn as Ai’s child, Aquamarine Hoshino! The glitz and glamor of showbiz hide the dark underbelly of the entertainment industry, threatening to dull the shine of his favorite star. Can he help his new mother rise to the top of the charts? And what will he do when unthinkable disaster strikes?
(Source: HIDIVE)
Note: Episode 1【推しの子】Mother and Children was pre-screened in advance in Japanese theaters on March 17, 2023. The regular TV broadcast began on April 12, 2023. The first episode has an extended runtime of ~82 minutes.
6. PLUTO
A murder occurs in an orderly world where robots are unable to kill humans. The robotic Europol investigator Gesicht takes the case, but the mystery deepens when he finds no trace of a human at the scene of the crime. As he pursues the truth, Gesicht uncovers the most evil manifestation of hate that history has ever seen, one that is bent on bringing destruction to the world ...
(Source: Netflix)
7. Bungo Stray Dogs 4
The fourth season of Bungou Stray Dogs.
No longer concerned with military affairs, Yukichi Fukuzawa intends to act as a lone bodyguard-for-hire, making use of his deadly swordsmanship. However, things are not going as planned for his freelance business, and that is when he crosses paths with a mouthy boy named Ranpo Edogawa. While their initial interactions are intertwined with a bizarre murder mystery, the aftermath prompts the formation of the Armed Detective Agency.
Presently, Ranpo finds himself chasing down a gifted individual with the dangerous ability to execute the perfect crime. But as the great detective unravels the case, he soon discovers an elaborate plot to obliterate the Agency in its entirety.
Although forewarned of the trap, the Agency continue their pursuit of the criminals, only to end up framed for the crime themselves. Now branded as wanted terrorists, the remaining members must find a way to prove their innocence—even if they must turn to sworn enemies for assistance.
(Source: MAL Rewrite)
8. Detective Conan: Black Iron Submarine
This time's location is set in the sea near the Hachijo-jima island, Tokyo. Engineers from around the world have gathered for the full-scale operation of "Pacific Buoy," an offshore facility to connect security cameras owned by the worldwide police forces. A test of a certain "new technology" based on a face recognition system is underway there.
Meanwhile, Conan and the Detective Boys visit Hachijo-jima at Sonoko's invitation and receive a phone call from Subaru Okiya (a graduate student in the Graduate School of Engineering at Tokyo Metropolitan University, who is an FBI agent Shuichi Akai and a black-robed organization's Rye) informing them that a Europol employee was murdered in Germany by the Black Organization's Jin.
Conan, who is disquieted, sneaks into the facility and finds that a female engineer has been kidnapped by the Black Organization...! Furthermore, a USB drive containing certain information in her possession ends up in the hands of the organization... A black shadow also creeps up on Ai Haibara (Detective Boys' Ai Haibara / Shiho Miyano / the Black Organization's Sherry),..
(Source: Crunchyroll)
9. Tengoku Daimakyo
In the year 2024, the world has collapsed. Grotesque monsters lurk amongst the ruins of Japan, while remaining people scrape together what they can to survive. Kiruko, an odd-job girl in Nakano, accepts a mysterious woman's dying wish to take a boy named Maru to a place called Heaven.
(Source: Disney+, edited)
10. Fate/strange Fake -Whispers of Dawn-
Years after the Fifth Holy Grail War in Japan, strange reports surface of one appearing in America. Attracting new Mages and Servants, the question is raised about the relic’s authenticity. As the city of Snowfield is turned into a bloody battleground, specific details seem wrong. Is it possible someone is manipulating this twisted little play, and if so, does this mean the true Holy Grail exists?
(Source: Crunchyroll)
Note: Special premiere occurred in Los Angeles at Anime Expo before the Japanese television premiere on July 2, 2023.